The Buzz

Blog readers asked for a report on the June 3 Primary Election with regard to Central Committee members for the 71st Assembly District. Those winning on the Republican side were Todd Spitzer (16,743), Jack Anderson (10,996), Marcia Gilchrist (9,093), John S. Williams (8,945), Tony Beall (8,831) and Mark Bucher (7,268). The top six Democrats running for Central Committee were David R. Sonneborn (3,837), Toni J. Sullivan (3,828), Lori Vandermeir (3,217), Joe Kerr (2,915), Gary Kephart (2,583) and Henry Vandermeir (2,476). The 71st Assembly District includes all of Mission Viejo.

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Other cities (or portions of cities) in the 71st Assembly District are Anaheim, Corona, Norco, Orange, Rancho Santa Margarita, Tustin and Santa Ana.

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Two candidates for Mission Viejo City Council have officially declared their intent to run – incumbent Gail Reavis and challenger Robert Lenzini. Reavis and Councilman Frank Ury are up for reelection, and both are likely to run. At least four challengers (including Lenzini) appear to be serious about running. Among those who were posturing and now seem to be on the sidelines are Diane Greenwood and Brian Skalsky. Both Greenwood and Skalsky ran unsuccessfully in 2006.

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Greenwood – if she’s not running – may have been pushed out by Ury’s decision to run with Rich Atkinson, who is Councilwoman Trish Kelley’s appointee to the planning commission. Although Ury campaigned for Greenwood in 2006, a Ury-Greenwood ticket would have been odd, given Ury’s claim to be a far-right Republican and Greenwood’s history as a longtime Democrat with far-left leanings. Greenwood reregistered as a Republican when she decided to run last time. The prospect of Ury and Kelley working together on anything defies logic after Ury tried to unseat her in 2006, but they have a common enemy in Reavis.

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When Ury was first elected to the council in 2004, an activist joked that Ury counted on the “100 club” in Mission Viejo to carry him around on their shoulders. To belong to the club, members can’t have an IQ exceeding 100. This year, it will be the “80 club,” as those with IQs approaching 100 are way too smart to do it again. Ury needs a ground team to hold his banners on street corners and work in his campaign. Kelley could use another person to hold up the other end of the banner, and MacLean might be available. How low will these council members go to get revenge? Will Kelley again stalk her neighbors, snooping through packages on doorsteps and harassing everyone who puts a Reavis sign in their yard?

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Greenwood posted remarks on another city blog, indicating she won’t support the Mission Viejo Right To Vote Initiative to stop Sunrise from destroying the Casta del Sol Golf Course. No surprise there. In her post, she said, “Imagine how nice it could be with coffee shops overlooking Oso Creek with some well planned re-vitalization, bringing revenue back into the city of Mission Viejo.” Either she’s confused or she wishes to confuse others. The voter initiative would have no impact on revitalization. If anything, the initiative should protect the city’s sales tax base by preventing commercial property from being rezoned to high-density residential. As for coffee shops overlooking Oso Creek, who would enjoy sipping coffee with the stench emanating from the sewage treatment plant on the other side of the creek? People hold their nose while walking that part of the trail.

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A few residents contributed to misinformation about coyotes on another blog. Mission Viejo is coyote country, and it always has been. Those concerned about the issue should focus on education, not on trying to exterminate wildlife. Coyotes keep the rodent population down, and that’s important in a city overrun with rabbits and rats. The diet of coyotes consists of small rodent (42%), deer (22%), fruit (23%), rabbit (18%), bird (13%), raccoon (8%), grass (6%), invertebrate (4%), human associated – garbage and pet food (2%), muskrat (1%), cat (1%), unknown (1%). Percentages are based on scat contents, and multiple sources result in more than 100%. Read a representative sampling of research at http://ohioline.osu.edu/b929/pdf/b929.pdf

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How high can a coyote jump? According to research, a coyote can get over a fence that’s at least six feet high – maybe higher. Pet owners who think they’ve coyote-proofed their back yards might be sadly mistaken.